Human CAD
by XanXenXan
Summary: Casting Assistant Device, or CAD in short, is just a tool for magicians to use magic. However, what if magicians do not need a CAD? What if the magician is the CAD? The result is a Human Casting Assistant Device. The HCAD project.
1. Chapter 1- The Human CAD

"This is Yanagi. My squad is in position."

"Control is yours, First Lieutenant. Give them hell."

Upon the words of his commanding officer for this operation, Yanagi Muraji led his squad and charged into the building said to conduct illegal magical experimentation on children. They stormed through the defences within minutes, not allowing their targets any time to respond.

Magical experimentation is a phenomenon that is accepted by the public. By everyone turning a blind eye, that is. It is something that everybody knows is going on behind the scenes, but no one will point it out. A dirty little secret hidden away in the little trapdoor under their mat. It is a phenomenon born from the current state of the world.

After all, magic is crucial in a nation's defence. As a member of the newly formed 101 Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, all the soldiers there are on some levels considered lab rats for magical experimentation, including Yanagi himself.

However, doing it on _children_ is a new low.

The news of it got him and his comrades burning in fury. It was an innocent looking case at first, where someone had reported to the police that more and more children had been noticed to go missing, children who have close to no relatives left. Most of them were orphans, kids that no one will miss if they never turn up for a few days. Upon further investigation, the case turned out to be way bigger than it seems given the number of children abducted without anyone the wiser. When there were concrete evidences that magic was involved and the confirmed presence of spells which are illegal or classified for military use, the newly christened battalion Yanagi is now in was called in for their debut. The higher-ups are using this chance to test if setting up the 101 is truly worth the time and effort.

The 101's chase led them here, in this seemingly run-down building which was once a chemical processing factory. Given how the interior is newly refurbished and equipped with state-of-the-art magic equipment, it is the stronghold of the abductors.

The scene is revolting.

Children of various ages were kept in glass tanks, left on surgery tables, dissected and kept in jars, body parts strewn about with blood still dripping out of it. Even for seasoned veterans like them, they have to use every ounce of their willpower to not retch at the gory sight.

Their captives not included, the 101 hasn't found a single survivor in the fifteen minutes they have been here. Not a single one.

Leaving the captured scientists and guards to another squad, Yanagi led his squad further in and bust open a heavy door. He immediately fired a bullet at a scientist about to kill and silence the child on the surgery table. He doesn't know why the scientist deems erasing all evidence about their experimentations a priority when they could have used this time to escape, but he doesn't care right now.

"Sir! This kid is alive!"

Yanagi quickly ran over to where the child is. A boy around five years of age has his eyes shut and is lying weakly on the table.

"He is going into cardiac arrest! Get the medic!"

"No time! I am administering CPR! Move it! And get the medic to hurry!"

Yanagi shoved his Corporal aside and quickly removed his combat mask. He positioned his hands over the boy's chest and interlocked his fingers.

"One, two, three, four, five."

Yanagi began to count the number of chest compressions he did while making sure the entire time that the boy's airway is open, something easily done by tilting the boy's head backwards and making sure his mouth is open from where he lay.

"Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty!"

After every thirty compressions Yanagi quickly performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before going back to the chest compression. The count of every single compression got Yanagi more and more desperate. This is the only child they found alive and he will be damned if he dies on his watch!

_Come on! Breathe! Open your eyes!_

**_"Where's the medic?!"_**

"He's on the way, sir!" One of his men shouted as they stood by him protectively in a circle facing outwards the moment they spotted their officer giving the boy emergency treatment. The building might have been cleared, but there's no telling when unexpected enemies may pop up on the battlefield.

**"Where is he?!"**

The presence of Yamanaka Kousuke, the best healer the battalion has to offer, gave Yanagi a sense of relief as the experienced doctor immediately took over with his equipment in hand.

"I can only temporarily stabilise his vitals! We need to move him into our hospital asap! There's something within the boy that is interfering with the healing process!"

Yanagi's squad quickly reacted as two soldiers lifted the surgery table as a makeshift stretcher, using magic to temporarily increase their muscle strength which made their work easier. Kousuke stayed by the side of the boy the entire duration as he continues with his field treatment while Yanagi and the rest of his squad surround them in a defensive formation, moving out of the building at record speed.

Yanagi became a soldier to help defend nations and save lives. He will not allow the child to die.

* * *

"So, if I add five apples to the three apples that I already have, I would have-"

The boy gave Yanagi the most unimpressed look the young soldier had ever seen before holding up eight fingers.

"Wow, you sure are smart, aren't you?"

The boy gave him an eyeroll. For someone so small, the boy sure does have sass the size of Mt Fuji.

The boy continues to fiddle with his old phone by taking it apart before putting it back again with various tools, trying to see if he can get it to start up once more. Major Yamanaka had said that other than having an extremely high Psion count, the boy's innate magic is also powerful, almost to the point of Superpower. Usually, that would be good news.

However, this was a result brought about by horrific experimentations that Yanagi couldn't even begin to imagine. An irreversible price the boy had paid against his will. The scars on his chest and back isn't even the start of what he had been through if Major Yamanaka's assessment and what they found from the hideout are accurate.

A Human Casting Assistant Device. The HCAD project.

For modern magic, a Casting Assistant Device, or CAD in short, is just a tool. Like how ancient magicians needed spell chants, talisman, or magic staves to help them invoke their magic, modern magicians need CADs to cast their spells. A CAD is able to drastically shorten the casting time and is hence an important and compulsory tool for magicians to be able to do what they can do. Hence, there are also sayings that all you need to do to defeat a magician in combat is to take away their CAD. It is not an entirely accurate statement, since most magicians still can use magic proficiently to some extent even without their CAD. His battalion is proof of that. Every single soldier here is able to fight effectively even without their magic. Still, for most other magicians, taking away their CAD does reduce their casting speed drastically, and thereby their combat prowess.

However, what if magicians do not need a CAD? What if the magician _is_ the CAD? There wouldn't be a need for a magician to have a magic tool because the magician _is_ the tool itself.

It was this line of thinking that led to this horrible experimentation. It was this experimentation that led to the deaths of so many young children.

Except the boy.

The boy who has no memories whatsoever during his time there. A boy who doesn't seem to understand where he is at nor know how to speak their language, only able to understand some basic words. A boy who doesn't even know he can use magic, screaming his lungs out when he accidentally exploded a medical equipment nearby when his Psions were leaking out uncontrollably from his body. It took them a few hours to calm him down even after the sedation had worn off.

Yanagi isn't sure if it is a good thing, but the experimentation seems to be somewhat of a success for the boy. The boy's heart had stopped beating for a while on the way to the hospital and they had all thought that was the end for him. Major Yamanaka didn't give up and managed to forcefully restart the boy's heart with his Healing Magic, buying just enough time for them to get him into their battalion's hospital via helicopter. An eight-hour long surgery followed suit.

The Human CAD. That is what the soldiers in the battalion had taken to calling the boy now.

From what Major Yamanaka had found out during the surgery, there are many CAD components implanted into the boy in various parts of his body. These are state-of-the-art technology procured from all over the world, not just Japan. He would have removed them, only to realise that by doing so would probably lead to one of two consequences for the boy. Permanent disability for life, or death.

The CADs implanted into the boy is too intricately meshed with his nervous network and other body systems needed to keep him alive. It is so well-designed and connected to the boy that his body itself is able to power the CADs inside his body. With the help of magic to kickstart the process, the cells in his body had merged with the CAD components using the advancements made in biotechnology, allowing for self-repair and omitting the need for equipment maintenance. His nervous network is now part of the CAD system just as the CAD is now a part of his mental capabilities, giving the boy the ability to store a large amount of data and activation sequences. The boy is basically a walking encyclopaedia of spells, both of the common spells you see in your everyday life and the destructive ones you only use in war. He is a supercomputer, able to process and compute things faster than you can snap your finger. Privacy and data security means nothing to him as his innate ability to manipulate electrons allows him to manipulate electricity, and then in turn electromagnetism, a crucial component that allows computers to even work in the first place, granting him the power to hack into the cyberspace without anyone the wiser. All he needs is an access point to find out everything from your blood type to your bank account number.

An access point is all he needs to start learning your secrets. Like his old phone that the boy is fiddling now, for example.

The boy had learnt the Japanese language when he accidentally touches his phone when Yanagi was visiting the boy in his bed. The boy was making a speedy recovery and everyone on that mission had took turns to visit him, something that had scare the boy out of his wits initially. The boy seems fine with Yanagi and was interested in his phone, so Yanagi let him touch it.

He wasn't expecting the boy's magic to activate immediately upon contact. The boy had gone into a trance as Psions leaked from his body like a tidal wave. It was only through a forceful suppression procedure that they managed to prevent the boy from experiencing a case of severe depletion of Psions.

What surprised them was the boy learnt how to speak their language right after that. That was how they found out about the boy's magical ability, one that was gifted to him thanks to the experimentation. Whether it stays as a gift or turns to be a curse remains to be seen.

The ability to hack into cyberspace and learn from there. The ability to access and download data into his body like a cyber phantom. The boy is more like an A.I. than a human at this point given his rate of learning. For now, Major Yamanaka had documented his magic as "Archive Magic" until the boy's magic can be clarified and investigated further.

The best theory that explains his magic right now is that the boy is able to instinctually manipulate electrons, which in turn manipulates electricity. Almost everything uses electricity nowadays, which makes the boy's magic a scary one. He can explode electronic equipment at will. He can hack it. He can even use it to generate electromagnetism and severely hamper all electronics in the vicinity, making them go haywire. It is the foundation of his Archive magic, as his manipulation of electronic waves allows him to simply walk through the most secure of doors and tap into any wireless communication device. The manipulation of electrons is what allows him to use his Archive magic in the first place.

To think that the simple ability to manipulate electrons can evolve into powering magic capable of taking down most databases given time. If it wasn't for the fact that the boy is still too young to be downing the world's cybernetwork and that the amount of energy needed is too ridiculously huge in the first place (_and by that Yanagi_ means _ten nuclear power plants will be needed to even invoke his Archive magic on such a large scale_), the boy might be the most powerful existence on Earth in a unique way. The power to access, utilise, and learn any information in the span of a second is a mighty tool to have.

Right now, the boy had already learnt seventeen different languages. His mind is still too young and undeveloped to be learning at the rate of a supercomputer, but that doesn't change the fact that his learning rate is supernatural. Every use of the boy's Archive magic takes a lot out of him, leaving him an exhausted mess and bedridden for days. If it wasn't for Human Right Laws, Yanagi is sure that the boy would have been whisked away for another round of experimentation by the military given how unique and valuable the boy's power are. If it wasn't for the fact that the experimentation is so inhumane with an extremely low success rate, Yanagi is sure that the military will do all they can to replicate the success of the experiment.

And isn't that a sickening thought in itself? The things one will do to achieve power? However, it is necessary. World War Three had only ended slightly more than a decade ago, the world is still turbulent. Japan needs as much firepower as it can possibly amass to defend itself should a World War Four break out.

War is not kind. Yanagi had not been in one, but he had experienced one. He was only seven when the war ended, but he learnt enough to know that it is horrible.

The boy had successfully repaired his old phone by now. The same phone that the boy had accidentally destroyed and the reason behind how the boy's powers were found out. Yanagi was laughed by his colleagues for days after that for having his phone destroyed by a single touch, by a five-year-old boy no less.

The phone is still cracked in many places, but it is able to start. Yanagi decided that the boy must have somehow downloaded information from the internet with his magic on how to properly repair a phone. There's no other explanation on how he got so good at it in a single day.

"Here." The boy said as he passed back the tattered phone to Yanagi.

"Thanks, although there's no need for it. I already bought a new one." Yanagi said as he accepted his old phone back from the boy's hands. The boy was insistent on helping to repair his busted phone, so Yanagi allowed him to have fun with it.

"You need to change your bank account password. Using your birthday is a bad idea."

"Oi! You are not supposed to know that!" Yanagi said in a loud whisper as he immediately covered the boy's mouth with a hand and looked around frantically. Thankfully, it seems that no one is around to hear it.

"The information just flows into my mind, I can't help it. And you have bad taste in porn-"

"**SHHHHHHH**!" Yanagi shushed the young boy before he spilled his dirty secrets out into the open. It is a bad idea to let the boy play with his phone! What was he thinking?! His comrades will skin him alive if they knew _he_ was the reason the five-year-old boy knows what _pornography_ is!

"I want ice-cream." The boy blackmailed with an evil grin on his face. He is banned from eating too much of the sweet stuffs by Major Yamanaka, who has a strict view on healthy living.

Yanagi's eyes narrowed. The boy sure knows how to put him in a difficult position.

"Only one."

The boy turned his head away and sucked in a deep breath in an exaggerated manner, no doubt preparing for a loud bellow that can be heard across the entire base of the 101.

"Fine! Two!"

The boy raised a single finger.

"Unlimited ice-creams for a month, or no deal."

Yanagi can feel himself gritting his teeth. Why did he save this annoying little brat in the first place?!

"_Deal_." Yanagi said in the most unwilling tone he had ever found himself using. It feels like he had just signed a pact with the devil itself.

"A pleasure to do business with you." The voice that the boy spoke in nearly made Yanagi lose control right on the spot as the boy took his hand and shook it in a business-like manner.

The little brat!

* * *

"Is this the right way to do so?"

Sanada Shigeru, Second Lieutenant of the 101 Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion and the main designer behind the CADs and other equipment used by the battalion, received the assembled CAD from the boy's hands. He gave the device a thorough look over and what he saw met his expectations.

"Well done, Chad." Shigeru said with a smile on his face as he patted the boy on the head, who tried to get the hand away from him to no avail. Despite his young age, Chad does not like to be treated like a child. Funnily enough, this very action encourages more of the soldiers in the battalion to coo over him, which serves to irritate the boy even further.

"You sure you don't want to pick your own name?" Shigeru asked the same question he has been asking the boy for days. The boy doesn't have a known name as far as they can find out and he has no prior memories before his rescue. Given his unique circumstances and the modifications done on his body, there is nowhere else he can go.

The Human CAD is too big an asset and a possible threat to be let go just like that. Hence, it falls upon the 101 to properly care for the child until a suitable arrangement can be made. However, they cannot keep calling the boy as "The Human CAD", or "that", or "boy", or whatever words he responded to. He is not a tool that he is made to be, but a human just like anyone else.

So the next problem after the boy's condition had stabilised is what to name the boy.

Since the Human CAD project was abbreviated as HCAD, the boy simply rearranged the alphabets and told people to call him "Chad" until a suitable name is picked for him. The soldiers here all encouraged the Chad to pick his own name, but Chad had said that he has no idea what a good name would be and had thrown the problem right back into their hands.

In the end, Major General Saeki Hiromi had decided to just name him after where their battalion is located at Tsuchiura in the old Ibaraki Prefecture. Chiura Ibuki, that would be Chad's new name if the paperwork passed without complications. There were people who pushed for naming Chad as Ibarai, but Ibarai is more commonly used as a name for females, so the final agreement for those who were interested in naming Chad somehow turned out to be Ibuki after many sporadic discussions that lasted for days.

Chiura Ibuki, written as 千浦勇吹 in kanji. If you want to take the meaning of the words separately Chi (千) would mean a thousand, ura (浦) would mean seashore, Ibu (勇) would mean brave and Ki (吹) would mean breath. It is not exactly an impressive or nice sounding name, but an ordinary enough name nonetheless.

"Too lazy to pick one." The boy yawned in reply to Shigeru's question. As of now, every major use of his Archive magic puts a strain on Chad. There is a limit to how much data he can store in his mind and how fast he can access, process, and download said data. The boy would get much better in time, but he is still not good enough at it for now.

It is also impossible for the boy to store every single known data known on the internet even if he can download them all. To put it in simpler perspective, a human brain is estimated to be able to hold about 10 terabytes to 100 terabytes of data, while the internet is estimated to hold almost 2 million terabytes of data as of recent years. Upon further investigation, the Archive magic the boy possesses seems to be an artificial magic created and implanted into the boy through the various CADs in him. There are many modifications done to his brain, and these modifications increases his mental storage capacity a few times more than an average human, but it still pales in comparison to the amount of information the world holds.

Hence, Chad merely uses his ability to access information. He only downloads them into his mind if he deems that he truly needs it. He can even delete specific information in his mind using Archive magic, something that is not yet seen among the known spells and magics in the magician community. Needless to say, this information is kept under lock-and-key due to its uniqueness.

Well, Chad's existence itself is unique and hence a highly guarded secret. A magician who doesn't need a CAD and is a CAD in itself. Chad is someone who can grow into a deadly presence due to his abilities to access and manipulate information, and also the ability to use magic without needing to hold a physical weapon.

Shigeru's personal opinion is that the military would want to keep Chad by their side and groom him to eventually be one of their soldiers. However, from a standpoint with a higher moral ground, it would be better if Chad can be raised by a loving family instead of soldiers who barely have time for him.

But what other family can keep a highly confidential secret, also well-equipped and magically strong enough to suppress Chad should his magic lose control, and not undermine the 101's hold on Chad while giving him the love and care only a family can provide?

The Ten Master Clans were the first group of people who came to mind and is also the first option to be strike out. The 101 was formed in the first place to have a magic-equipped military force independent of the Ten Master Clans, and thus they do not have a favourable impression of their battalion since it serves to undermine their existence. It is more likely they will try and get their hands on Chad for their own use should they learn of his existence.

Shigeru watches on as Chad tried to assemble the more complicated CADs and also to understand how they work without relying on Archive to get the knowledge immediately. Chad seems to have a fascination with CADs, which may be a good thing given how many of those micro CADs are implanted into his body. If Chad wants to take proper care of his body with such a unique constitution, then he will need to know how CADs work. Chad already knew quite a lot from the amount of information he learnt on his own with Archive magic but knowing them is never quite the same as applying them. Hands-on experience is always the best teacher when it comes to handling CADs.

"These CADs feel so clunky." Chad complained as he tested out some of the prototypes on display.

"Well, I haven't got around to complete and fine-tune them." Shigeru said as he walked over to the boy.

"Do you mind if I help you test them?"

"By all means."

Shigeru watched as Chad tested out various CADs by utilising some common spells most soldiers in the 101 will use. Chad doesn't seem to like the CADs very much, which is to be expected. Why use external CADs when the ones implanted into your body are so much better?

"Actually, I think the software is fine." Chad said after he finished testing most of them. "But the hardware is the problem."

"Hardware?"

"Yeah. I think the activation sequences work just fine but the way the CAD is physically designed makes it feel…" Chad pondered a short moment as he tried to find the best word to describe his experience. "Like it is lacking. Like something is lacking to make it feel like the CAD is perfect, that it is made for you. Like this one." Chad waved a Generalised CAD in front of Shigeru. "The sensation of holding it in your hands just doesn't feels like it fits."

"So it is the physical design that can be further improved on, huh?" Shigeru asked as he mentally noted it down. It is true that he has been focusing too much on the coding of activation sequences in trying to ensure the CAD casting process runs as smoothly as possible. Maybe he should spend some time on ensuring that the physical design of the CAD itself is able to best support the spells he coded into them to achieve the optimal results.

"Designing CAD looks like a lot of fun." Chad commented as he looked over the various blueprints of CADs strewn about in the room before turning back to look at Shigeru. "I think you said that I should get a Specialised CAD when I'm older?"

"It is because the CADs in your body are Generalised CADs." Shigeru said as he gave another look at the blueprints that he had drawn and discarded. Maybe he can find some new inspirations from the discarded pile. "Generalised CADs can store many types of Activation Sequences but place a larger burden on the user. The advantage Generalised CADs have is in versatility, and hence more often used by magicians capable of wielding different types of magic. You may need to wield Specialised CADs in the future since Specialised CADs has the advantage of speed, something your implanted CADs doesn't have. All you need to do is to store the activation sequences of your most commonly used spells in the Specialised CAD."

And that is why the fact that Chad is able to proficiently use the encyclopaedia of spells stored as activation sequences in his implanted CADs speaks volumes about his potential, potential that he already has even without the modifications to his body. Chad is even able to chain activation sequences after sequences without rest without limit, something that no other magician can do. This may be why Chad was a target to be kidnapped in the first place. Storing the activation sequences of spells in your CAD does not automatically mean that you can use it to its full effect. The CAD only provides the activation sequence, it is the ability of the magician himself to invoke the magic. In all honesty, Shigeru has a feeling that Chad doesn't even need the extra advantage of a Specialised CAD when he grows up. His casting speed and processing power alone is already impressive enough even with a Generalised CAD.

Although when Shigeru thinks about this further, Chad's proficiency in spells reminds him too much about the Saegusa family, which is renown for being versatile and proficient in using a wide range of different magics. Could Chad be a Saegusa?

On second thought, that shouldn't be the case. The Saegusa would have made a din if one of their own went missing.

"And I may need extra CADs just for show, since the fact that I am a living CAD is supposed to be a secret in public. Can't have them spotting me using magic without a CAD, right?"

"Bingo." Shigeru complimented the young boy who is now lying on the floor in boredom. Can't be helped, the military isn't exactly the best place to raise an impressionable child and there is nothing here that he can play. Almost everything here is off-limits to him. Furthermore, he is the only person of his age group in this huge base. It is understandable that he is bored and lonely.

"Urgh, this place is so boring and stuffy." Chad grunted out in frustration as he started to take apart a discarded CAD in an attempt to make time pass faster.

"Sorry about that, Chad." Shigeru apologised sincerely. He would have done something if he could, but as of now Chad is still too young and his existence too unique to be risked being found out.

Chad suddenly took a pause in whatever he was doing before turning to him.

"Do you think the higher-ups will agree if I ask to learn how to fight? It may make time pass faster and I will have something fun to do."

Shigeru blinked in surprise. Well, that is certainly doable, but Chad is only _five_.

"… I will take it up to the Major General."


	2. Chapter 2- Saegusa Mayumi

This is it. Her first day in Middle School and finally having the chance to have real friends.

Saegusa Mayumi stood in front of the school gates in the way she was taught to present herself in public as a member of the Ten Master Clans. However, right on the inside, the panic she is experiencing is unlike anything she had experienced before.

_What should she do?! What should she say?! How is she supposed to present herself?! How does she interact with anyone that she doesn't know?!_

Being the eldest daughter of one of the most influential magical families has its perks and downsides. The perks are many, but the downsides can be equally numerous. Mayumi has no lack of accomplished tutors teaching her what she needs to know and she is confident in her knowledge.

However, her status had never allowed her to have a normal childhood. She had _never_ been to a school until now.

Due to fear of possible kidnappings on her person, her father did not send her to a school until she is old enough to enter Middle School and thus in his eyes, proficient enough in her magic to defend herself until help arrives. Before now, she was home-schooled. For magicians, they would only start to learn about magic in schools after they completed the compulsory education up to the Middle School level, an education that is the same across the country no matter if you are a magician or not. If a magician wants to pursue a career in magic, they will then apply to join one of the nine Magic High Schools in Japan after completing Middle School.

Standing in front of the school gates is already terrifying enough. Mayumi wants to make friends, but at the same time afraid of doing so.

"Ojou-sama, it will not do well to be late on your first day of school."

The words of her bodyguard, Nakura Saburou, shook Mayumi out of her stupor. Her bodyguard returned a thin but polite small at her when she looked his way.

"It is not as scary as you thought it to be, ojou-sama. You will be fine."

Mayumi returned a hesitant nod at Nakura's words as she finally mustered the courage to enter the school. She is in Class 1A, so the first order of business will be to find her classroom.

Judging by how the seats are nearly all filled up, she is a little late in reporting to class. She must have spent too much time hesitating at the school gates earlier.

People only gave her a passing glance the moment they spotted her at the door of her classroom. The stares will probably change the moment they learned of her name. Mayumi quickly scanned with her eyes the number of empty seats left and where they are located, and then weighed the options in her mind.

Her choice became obvious when she sensed the emittance of Psions in the classroom, pulsing in a slow lull. She traced the Psions' presence to a boy her age who is lying his arms on his tables and his head resting on his arms to catch up on his sleep. It looks like he is not a morning person. Still, Mayumi is excited. Middle School is compulsory for all students her age, regardless of their status as magicians or non-magicians. However, magicians are rare, with only 1 in 1000 teenagers even possessing this ability in the first place which will then turn to be 1 in 10,000 adults after taking into consideration the loss of power for some due to stress during the growth process. To be able to meet a fellow magician in a classroom during her Middle School is something which she had never expect. The chances are just that low.

Today might be her lucky day after all.

Mayumi quickly walked through the classroom and sat herself down in a demure manner which is to be expected of her status. The boy which she hopes will be the first friend she makes turned his head a little in her direction and opened a sleepy eye.

Mayumi gulped a little but managed to wave a greeting to him with a timid smile. She had wanted to introduce herself, but the words somehow got stuck in her throat, making it awkward for her.

The boy simply nodded back from his sleeping position and managed to raise a hand a few centimetres off the table to return his own wave.

"Wake me up when the teacher comes in, yeah? Thanks a lot."

And then it was lights out for him immediately thereafter.

Mayumi can only blink in bafflement. Is this normal behaviour in a school setting?

She quickly looked around. No one seems to be interested in her as the early birds had all formed their respective conversation groups by now. Her seat is in a little corner at the back of the class since she had chosen to sit next to where the boy is sitting. It is an area that is easily overlooked.

On further thought, it is probably why the sleepy boy chose to sit here in the first place.

The boy raised his head about ten minutes later with a red mark on his forehead where his head used to lie on his arm.

"Damn it, can they quieten down a little?" The boy complained quietly under his breath as he subtly glared at a noisy group at the opposite end of the classroom. "There are people trying to sleep here!"

Mayumi can't help but giggle into her palm at the remark. This is a sight she definitely would not see in her house. Being home-tutored for most of her life does that to her.

The boy turned to look at her when he heard her giggles. He appears neat at first glance, with his uniform ironed out properly, clean shoes, and a short crop top hair that gives him a fresh and smart look. It is like looking presentable in a neat and proper manner is something that is drilled into him since young.

She can work with that. After all, she has a similar experience with how strict her families are on mannerisms and social etiquettes.

"Hi." Mayumi spoke in a soft voice as she tried to only let the boy hear her. She still doesn't know right now how the class will react if everyone knows about her family name. She will push that horrifying moment as far back as possible. She extended a hand in a polite greeting to the boy before continuing her sentence.

"My name is Saegusa Mayumi. It is nice to meet you."

As expected, the boy's eyes widened a little in recognition of her family name. However, contrary to her vivid imaginations on the one thousand and one scenarios that will go wrong, the boy did not even freak out. Not even a little.

"Saegusa as in '_Seven Grass'_?" The boy asked in confirmation as he used a finger to invisibly draw the kanji of the Saegusa name, 七草, on the table. Mayumi gave a small timid nod as her reply.

The boy sucked in a breath and let out a soft whistle from his mouth, the only indication of his surprise.

"Cool. Name's Chiura Ibuki, just call me Ibuki."

If it wasn't for the countless lessons on mannerisms and proper etiquettes she had taken ever since she was four, Mayumi's jaw might have dropped in surprise. That's it? Like, _that's it_?!

"Hello, you alright there? You trying to catch flies with your mouth or something?"

Ibuki waved a hand in front of Mayumi, which snapped her attention back to reality.

"You can call me Mayumi!" Mayumi chirped back in excitement. _Her first friend! She had made her first friend!_

"Well, this is definitely unexpected, but it is nice knowing you, Mayumi."

* * *

As it turns out, Ibuki's reaction to her name is the only abnormal reaction in the entire class. When the teacher had asked for everyone to take turns to stand up and give a short introduction about themselves for everyone to know everyone else a little better, Mayumi had been excited. After all, her success in befriending Ibuki had shown her that making friends is simpler than it seems.

She was given a harsh reality check.

The stares, gasps, gossips, and the atmosphere in general told her otherwise when she had finally finished her introduction. Even if the only two magicians here are her and Ibuki, the non-magicians also know of her family. The Saegusa is a well-known family, add on the stigma the non-magical community has about magicians, there are people who actually outright fear her even if they don't know anything about her other than her name and looks. People actually fear her simply because of her name and a status as a magician.

She knows that magicians are seen nothing more as tools, a necessary existence if Japan wants to remain standing in this turbulent world that had just recovered from a world war. However, that doesn't mean that she has to like it.

She doesn't like it, not one bit. _Why_ the stigma? Why is the prejudice against magicians among the non-magical community so prevalent?!

It seems that she was too well-protected from how harsh society can be. The realisation is a bitter pill to swallow, and the dawning of the fact that she can never lead a normal life as long as she is a Saegusa never sunk into her as deeply as of that current moment.

Class started without much fanfare after everyone had given their introductions, but there are still many subtle looks given her way that made her extremely uncomfortable and also making her hard to focus on what the teacher is talking about.

A small notebook was discretely pushed to her side from Ibuki where their desks are joined side by side. Two words were scribbled onto a blank page.

_'You alright?'_

Mayumi look back at Ibuki, who is staring straight ahead at the whiteboard without giving any indications that he is passing along secret messages to her. Mayumi quickly caught on and acted normally, as much as she can anyway, before writing down her reply in her usual cursive and neat handwriting before pushing the notebook back to Ibuki.

_'I am fine. Thanks for asking.'_

Ibuki glanced at the notebook, and then scribbled something else before passing it back to her without even needing to look at what he wrote.

_'Don't let their behaviour get to you. Idiots will remain as idiots.'_

Mayumi shoulders shook a little, but she managed to hold her laughter in.

In the end, Mayumi had no idea what their homeroom teacher was teaching as the entire lesson was spent passing secret messages between her and Ibuki. She did copy down some notes when whatever the teacher was talking about seems important. She will review them when she gets home later.

Passing secret messages was unexpectedly fun. She would not have experienced or even thought of something like this if she remained home tutored. There would be no one to pass the messages to.

Their conversation had taken up at least four pages full of scribbles in the brand-new notebook Ibuki had used. It is obvious who had written what, since Ibuki's messy scribbles stands out too much against her neat handwriting and vice versa. Their homeroom teacher had just left since it is now recess time, and many are making their way out of the classroom to eat in the canteen or simply to explore the school on their first day here.

Ibuki himself had picked up his schoolbag and dug out a lunchbox from it. The meal inside is a simple bento with ordinary ingredients, but it looks appetizing.

"Did your mother prepare this for you?" Mayumi asked politely as she took out her own lunchbox. Thank the stars she decided to bring one today, she would have to eat alone at the canteen otherwise without Ibuki with her.

"Made it myself." Ibuki stated as he took out his metal chopsticks and looked at Mayumi's own bento, which is a lot more extravagant in terms of looks and the ingredients used for the meal.

"Your family has a chef to make this for you?"

"Y-Yeah." Mayumi replied uneasily. Suddenly, her rich and spoiled upbringing seems like something to be ashamed of. She cannot even cook an egg without burning it, and yet Ibuki can cook an entire meal himself without problems. For some reason, she suddenly feels inadequate, like it is _wrong_ to-

"Huh, if only I can cook something on this level, I don't have to endure the junk I eat back there all the time." Ibuki mused as he looked from his bento to hers and back again. "Ah well, practice makes perfect. I will get there someday."

It didn't miss Mayumi's notice that Ibuki said '_there'_ in his earlier sentence instead of how people will use the word '_home'_ usually in this context. Her inquisitive side wants to know more, but her common sense is screaming at her that it is a bad idea to ask.

Ibuki is her first and only friend right now. She cannot afford to lose him.

"You can take some from my bento if you want." Mayumi offered. Good friends share their food, right? At least that was what her older brothers told her yesterday when she asked them what to expect on her first day in school. They are not exactly on close terms since they are from different mothers and the age gap between them is considerably big, but they are nice enough.

"Well, if you say so, _ojou-sama_." Ibuki teased as the comment incited a faint blush from her. Ibuki took an eggroll with his chopsticks and took a bite.

"Huh, how can an eggroll taste so nice?"

Ibuki had a sincerely perplexed look on his face as he continues to munch on the eggroll. He turned back to Mayumi as he took a second bite on the eggroll.

"Was this prepared with magic?"

"Huh?" That question threw Mayumi in for a loop temporarily. "N-No! It is just a normal eggroll that the chef in my house prepared!"

Ibuki's brought the half-eaten eggroll closer to his right eye as he inspected it further.

"I think the same effect can be achieved if I cook it with a slight application of heat-based magic. Maybe oscillation magic work as well? Might need to try that out later. The eggroll is folded too nicely to be easily replicated, but with, say, a combined application of convergence and a weak form of acceleration magic, maybe? The physical result might be possible to be replicated. Now, what spells do I know can-"

Mayumi watched with gawking eyes as Ibuki seriously tried to come up with various theories to apply magic in _cooking_, of all things. It is not an unexperimented frontier, but hardly any magician is willing to spend their lives honing their magic crafts for something as mundane as _cooking_. Magicians are a rare breed to begin with, and accomplished magicians usually ended up in the military service or under the employment of the various influential magician families in Japan. Her bodyguard is one such example.

"You not eating?"

Ibuki's question got Mayumi back to her senses as Ibuki had somehow finished the eggroll in the time she spent in her own world and is beginning to start on his meal. She smiled as they enjoyed their meal together, even picking up the courage to scoop some of his fried fish for a taste. It is not as tasty as the ones her chef can prepare, but eating it makes her a lot more light-hearted for some reason.

She made a friend. Her _first_ friend. She cannot wait to share the news with her father and younger sisters already.

* * *

"Nakura, what do you know of this 'Ibuki'?"

"Mayumi ojou-sama had said that he is her first friend and the only other magician that she currently knows of in school." The bodyguard replied professionally to his employer and the Head of the clan, Saegusa Kouichi. "I myself only had a brief look of the boy when he accompanied Mayumi ojou-sama out to the school gates where I picked her up. Personally, I don't think he is a threat, although I suspect that he might have training in combat with the way he carries himself. Still, most aspiring magicians will learn some combat skills during their youth out of necessity, so I don't think it is much of a concern."

Kouichi rested his chin on the back of his hand as he took in the news. When asked about her first day in school during dinner earlier, Mayumi was obviously excited in sharing about what she experienced, telling him all about the first friend she had made. Naturally, it got Kouichi's interest.

"Anything else you think I should know about the boy?"

"Mayumi ojou-sama had mentioned that the boy had sparked an interest in her for cooking."

Kouichi allowed a brief expression of his surprise to show. Of all things he had expected to hear, that hadn't been one of them.

"Do a background search on this Ibuki boy. I want to be thoroughly sure that he is not a threat to Mayumi's safety."

"It will be done."

Nakura excused himself and left Kouichi to his thoughts. He takes pride in the fact that people know him as the 'sly fox', something that even his own children calls him by sometimes because of how shrewd he is. He is calculating and will use every advantage he has to win his battles, even his own children, to ensure that the Saegusa family stays on top of the other Master Clans. However, no matter how much he uses his own children at times like mere chess pieces, he is still a father. If at all possible, he wants Mayumi to have a normal childhood as much as he can provide it, which is why he finally gave his consent to send her to school to make friends. Of course, it is also to train her social skills and to ensure Mayumi doesn't end up as a social idiot from the lack of interaction of anyone not from their house, but her best interests comes first. If it is even remotely possible, he will also want Mayumi to eventually find her own happiness, although that is almost impossible for magicians even for those hailing from normal families. It is a common practice for magicians to marry each other for the sole purpose of passing down their genes, to ensure that the 'good' genes get passed down. Many magicians ended up in a loveless marriage, just like him.

He doesn't want his children to be saddled with such a fate if he can help it, but the practical side of him is telling him that it is impossible. There are already two candidates from the other Master Clans who are of Mayumi's age group to be her fiancé. Itsuwa Hirofumi and Juumonji Katsuto will most likely be the ones who Mayumi will be married to in the future. They are both heirs of their respective families, Mayumi will be well taken care of there. They are also the ones closest to her social standing and pedigree.

Kouichi sighed before standing up from his seat. He will worry about his children later. For now, there are more pressing matters to attend to.

Why is being a father such a difficult job?


	3. Chapter 3- Revelation

It feels empty without him around today.

Mayumi only realised how much of a comfort Ibuki's presence is to her when he is gone. He had called in and report sick today, saying that he is down with a very bad flu and may miss a few days' worth of lessons. This leaves Mayumi all alone in class without any other friends by her side, since the rest of her classmates are non-magicians with fears of the magical community in various degrees. Even some of them without the same prejudices are hesitant to befriend her and Ibuki, probably afraid that they might also be ostracised by the rest of the class if they make acquaintances with them.

If only there is a Middle School catered only to magicians, then she and Ibuki will not need to endure this.

She managed to survive the rest of the day without complications, but the sudden lack of Ibuki's usual presence is jarring no matter how much she wanted to ignore that gaping difference. Ibuki said that he is down with flu. Is he alright? Come to think of it, where does he even stay? Who does he live with? Did the lazy boy even have the common sense to see a doctor and get some medicine? She knows enough that he isn't living with his family from the little that he lets slip. For someone so unassuming and ordinary, he is very tight-lipped and careful on what he shares, a trait he hides behind his nonchalant and easy-going façade. If she herself isn't a master at wearing and changing figurative masks at the drop of a hat, she might have been fooled. She is not an ojou-sama for nothing, she knows a mask when she sees one. It is a skill required of her due to how many social functions she has to attend ever since she is old enough to do so. A skill that she hates to use due to how mentally draining it is to keep up a polite and false front. Sometimes, she doesn't even know _what_ her true self is anymore. However, she is a Saegusa. She has her duties as the eldest daughter to her father.

Mayumi paused for a second when she started to pack her stuffs at the end of the day. She and Ibuki may be the top scorers for the females and the males in her class respectively, but today's lesson was very important since it is an entirely new topic that was taught today. Despite how smart he is and how much Ibuki seemingly did not pay attention in class, he is not a computer who automatically knows the answer to everything. He might need some help in catching up what he missed.

If she doesn't help him, then no one else will. They are the only friend each other have in this school who fears magicians.

They are friends, right? Friends help each other out in times of need, right?

She ignored the small voice whispering in her head that Ibuki may not view her as a friend like she did, telling her that it is just a one-sided view on her part. If the small voice is whispering the truth, then she wants to continue to live in denial, even if it is just a little longer.

She took an extra set of today's notes from their homeroom teacher, saying that she will deliver the lesson printouts and homework to him personally. The facial expression of her teacher told her that she was obviously caught by surprise, but her teacher conceded to her request.

Mayumi received a small piece of paper from her teacher where the teacher had jotted down the address of Ibuki's residence as registered in the school. It is not too far from where the school is and not too far from her own home. Delivering Ibuki's stuffs won't take up a lot of her time.

Mayumi walked out of the school gates and immediately spotted Nakura waiting outside, standing at the side of the car in his usual gentlemanly manner similar to a butler. She will have to ask him to make a short detour today.

* * *

Nakura Saburou drove smoothly as he finally reached the place which the address had stated. It is a simple apartment complex. Not too grand or rich, but not shabby either.

"Ojou-sama, we have arrived."

Mayumi gave a nod of acknowledgement as Nakura opened the door for her, allowing her to step out of the vehicle before closing the door after her. Mayumi took another look at the small slip of paper.

"The 7th story, unit #07-35." She mumbled to herself as she walked forward to where the lift is with Nakura falling in step right behind her, already assessing their surroundings for any possible threats. It is his habit from years of experience in combat as both an assassin and a bodyguard.

The master-servant duo reached the front of Ibuki's house minutes later. Mayumi rang the doorbell, which surprisingly, has an intercom system allowing for the occupants inside to talk to whoever is outside ringing the doorbell. Not all apartment units have such a luxury.

"Hello?"

The voice of a young male sounded from the intercom. Judging from the addition of a nasal tinge to his voice, the flu had not been kind to him.

"Ibuki? It's me, Mayumi."

"Mayumi? How did you find me?" There was a hint of surprise to Ibuki's voice before he continues with his sentence. "Never mind, that was a stupid question. Give me a moment."

The door swung open about half a minute later by a sick looking Ibuki with a hastily worn face mask over his face. At least the boy is thoughtful enough to wear a face mask in an effort to reduce the chances of him passing his sickness to Mayumi to a minimum.

"Here, your notes for today's lessons!"

Nakura can sense the happiness in Mayumi's voice as she finally gets a look at her one and only friend in school. It is a sad reality, but it is what most magicians will experience until they enrol into one of the nine Magic High Schools or enter a line of work where only magicians can go to. In every society, magicians are a rare breed, almost like a different species on their own. The societal prejudice and ostracization towards magicians are why the magical community is so tightly knitted. Banding together is the best way for magicians to gain a foothold in society no matter the country.

Ibuki's eyes looks like they could pop out if they could when he saw Mayumi's outstretched hand with his notes. He obviously wasn't expecting a visit from her or for the reason of the visit to be a simple delivery of the notes for today's lesson. Mayumi _is_ a princess from the Ten Master Clans, someone of high social standing and status among magicians. Even if she is kind enough to help deliver the notes, she could have asked a servant to do it for her.

"Uh… thanks." Ibuki said dumbfoundedly as he received the stack of neatly arranged papers. "There's no need to go so far for me, Mayumi. It's just-"

"You are my friend." Mayumi replied firmly. "Friends help each other, right?"

"Yeah, I mean, you are right. But this-"

"-is no small matter." Mayumi interrupted Ibuki. "Did you even see a doctor?"

"It is just a small flu." Ibuki said through sniffs as he looked suitably drowsy. "Just have to pop a few pills and wait for the effect to run its course. Works every single time. There's no need-"

**"IBUKI!"** Mayumi nearly shouted with the increase in her volume. "You **_need_** to see a doctor when you are sick! Self-medication is not the way to go! What kinds of medication are you eating anyway?!"

"Panadols, obviously." Ibuki said in a deadpan as he visibly resisted the urge to blow his nose. "The wonder cure used worldwide for every single fever, flu, and aches for the past century. Surely you had heard of it? Or maybe you know it as paracetamol?"

"Panadols _cannot_ cure _everything_! You _cannot_ just pop Panadol pills and hope _everything_ gets better! ARGH!" Mayumi did a little stomp in her frustration, something that resulted from her care for her one and only friend. Nakura sincerely hopes that she can make a few more close friends when she goes to a Magic High School in the future, but for now, Ibuki will have to do.

"That's it! I am bringing you to see my family doctor!" Mayumi walked on ahead like a warrior on a warpath and entered Ibuki's apartment. Nakura took the opportunity and entered as well, ignoring Ibuki's weak protests. His employer had said to gather more information about Ibuki, this is a good chance to do so.

Ibuki cannot be normal, since the background check Nakura ran on him turns out to be have too many voided fields in his particulars. This outcome can only mean one of two things: either Ibuki is closely affiliated to one of the few influential magic families in Japan, or he is from the military.

And if Ibuki was purposely sent to the same Middle School as Mayumi for whatever nefarious reasons, then he is a threat to be eliminated. Mayumi might be heartbroken, but it will have to be done if it is true. The politics of the magical community behind the scenes isn't pretty. Mayumi herself had experienced many assassination and kidnapping attempts from the moment she was born. He would not put past the possibility of some organisation or family sending in a magician her age to befriend Mayumi, and then use the opportunity to something that might put her or the Saegusa family in danger.

Mayumi dragging Ibuki back to the Saegusa manor may be a good chance for them to learn more about the seemingly normal, yet surprisingly enigmatic boy. His employer would love to use this chance to personally assess the boy as well. Ibuki is Mayumi's first friend. It is natural that the boy will catch the attention of her father.

Nakura did a sweeping gaze of Ibuki's apartment. It is clean, neat, and well-maintained, something he wasn't expecting from someone his age. Spartan would probably be the best word to describe it, since the apartment only has the bare necessities to allow a single individual to live comfortably. There are only _two_ chairs and a table as far as his eyes can see. Ibuki most definitely lives alone. If he doesn't have parents, then who is his guardian? Does he even have one, as unlikely as that is?

His initial assessment inferred from his observations makes him more inclined to believe that this boy is from the military given his living conditions and habits, although Nakura isn't aware that they are raising child soldiers. His employer might know more about this issue. Ibuki is simply too neat and the way he arranged his apartment reminds him of a soldier's bunk.

"Mayumi, I told you. I am **_fine_**-"

"Protest one more time, and I will ask Nakura-san to knock you out before bringing you back home with me."

"That is kidnapping in broad daylight, Mayumi."

"I am a _Saegusa_. I get away with things."

"I have doctorphobia. It is a legit psychological condition. Those with this condition are prone to anxiety or panic attacks upon seeing a doctor. So, I-"

"**_Stop_** giving me excuses. You. _Will_. See. A. Doctor." Mayumi punctuated each of her words as she plastered a sweet but deadly smile on her face, one that promises a world of pain if her demands are not complied. "Am. I. **_Clear_**?"

Ibuki sighed.

"You, my dear ojou-sama, are a tyrant."

"Why, thank you, Ibuki." Mayumi seems to take the statement as a compliment, clapping her hands together gleefully. "Well, what are you waiting for? Pack what you need to bring with you so we can start moving already!"

Seeing that protesting is a lost cause, the boy accepted his defeat.

"Yeah, give me a moment. Take a seat or something in the meantime."

Ibuki entered a room and Mayumi followed him curiously. Naturally, Nakura went along.

He wasn't expecting to enter a workshop. A workshop full of CADs.

"Wow…" Mayumi breathed out in awe as she took in the sight. CADS are _everywhere_. On the tables, the floors, hanging on the walls, and there is even a stack of CADs piled up as tall as an adult.

"Told you to wait outside. My room is a mess. Be careful not to trip over anything."

"_This_ is your **_room_**?! Where do you even sleep?!"

"There."

Both Mayumi and Nakura turned to where Ibuki's finger pointed as he used his other hand to dig through a pile of CADs taller than his person, revealing a small drawer underneath. Their gaze set upon something hanging in the corner of the room.

"That is a hammock! Not a bed!"

"It is comfortable. Go try it out if you don't believe me."

Nakura's eyes turned to the nearest pile of CADs. He doesn't recognise any of these devices. They are not from any mass-produced brands that he knew of.

"Chiura-kun, these CADs are…"

"Designed them myself from spare parts I found in a trash heap. Most of them are failures as you can see."

And _where_ would a boy be able to access CAD spare parts from a trash heap? CADs are expensive and they are personal items. Not just anyone will casually throw their CADs into a trash heap. And designing CADs at his age?

"You are aiming to be a Magic Engineer?"

"Maybe. It has always been a hobby for me to pass time since it was the only thing I was allowed to do. I want to find a way to redesign a CAD's hardware so that it can be used more easily. Using CADs in the form of a phone or a bracelet may not always be the most efficient way to cast spells, especially if you have to cast it at a moment's notice."

"There are Specialised CADs for the job."

"And if we can make Generalised CADs to be as capable as Specialised ones, then they will be no need for Specialised CADs. Better yet, if there is a way for all magicians to be able to cast spells without a CAD, it can revolutionise the way magicians use spells."

"That would be a true revolution." Mayumi said as she looks at her friend with a newfound respect.

"Probably won't happen in a few decades." Ibuki grunted as he finished packing whatever he wants to bring with him into a small bag. He turned back to Mayumi and tried a last-ditch attempt to reverse his situation.

"Can I don't go?"

"Do you think you have a choice?"

"…No. Damn."

* * *

"It seems your friend's case is just a normal flu with a slight case of fever, ojou-sama. I will be prescribing some medicine for him and he should be fine in a few days."

"See? I told you everything is fine."

"At least now you know_ for sure_ that everything is fine. Seriously, go see a doctor if you are sick!"

"I hate seeing one. Been that way for as long as I can remember."

Mayumi gave an unimpressed look at Ibuki as the boy opted to rest his head on the headrest of the chair he is sitting on tiredly.

"Ibuki." Mayumi asked another question as the boy gave her a tired look. "You stay alone?"

"Yeah. I'm from Ibaraki actually. The only reason I am here is because I did well in elementary school and got myself a scholarship that allows me to choose wherever I want to go next. I chose to come here, since this is supposedly the best Middle School in Tokyo. I came alone."

That information got Nakura's attention immediately. If the boy is indeed from Ibaraki and if he is indeed from the military, then a certain organisation comes to mind.

The 101 Independent Magic-Equipped Battalion, or more commonly referred to as the 101 or the 101st Brigade.

The unique battalion is stationed at Tsuchiura in the old Ibaraki Prefecture. The different regions and prefectures in Japan had its borders redrawn after the third war, but there are many who still refer to that area as Ibaraki even if it does not officially go by that name anymore.

"Then you will stay here. At least until you get better." Mayumi said with a frown on her face. "_Someone_ needs to keep an eye on you! You can barely walk in a straight line!"

"You were the one who _dragged_ me here. _Literally_."

"You wouldn't see a doctor otherwise!"

The argument between the children got cut short as an important figure walked into the room unexpectedly. Upon seeing her father, Mayumi's back immediately went straight before giving him a formal bow and greeting.

"Good afternoon, otou-sama."

"Mayumi." Saegusa Kouichi returned the greeting to his daughter as he turned to Ibuki, who had also stood up when the head of the house had entered.

"Won't you introduce your friend to me?"

"This is Chiura Ibuki, the friend I told you about!" Mayumi chirped happily as she dragged a reluctant Ibuki with her, who looks very uneasy at the sudden attention. "He's sick, won't see a doctor, and he lives alone. So I decided to bring him to see our family's doctor! Can he stay here for the duration until his flu gets better, otou-sama?"

"It will be unfortunate if something happens to him and no one is there to help, especially so when he's sick." Kouichi said as he patted Mayumi on the head dotingly. He turned to Ibuki, who is struggling in Mayumi's death grip, much to everyone's amusement. "You are allowed to stay here for as long as you want, Ibuki-kun. Consider it as thanks for being Mayumi's friend."

It didn't miss Naruka's mind that the real reason why Kouichi would want to let Ibuki stay in the Saegusa manor is because it is a good chance to find out more about the mysterious boy who popped out of nowhere. Even if the boy turns out to be a skilled magician and has nefarious plans for Mayumi and the Saegusa, there is nothing he can do against the entire might of the Saegusa clan in their own home. The boy will be watched by them like hawks onto their prey.

This is the safest place to observe the boy.

"Er… Can I at least inform my guardians about this arrangement?"

"We can do it for you." Kouichi said in a wry smile that Nakura knows all too well. "Who are they?"

"It's fine!" The boy said in a panic as he waved his friends in front of him. "I can do it myself!"

"_I insist_. You are a guest, and it is our duty as hosts to make your stay as comfortable as possible. I will get the servants to make the call for you. You need to rest from whatever is ailing you. You are barely standing on your feet."

"Just let otou-sama do it, Ibuki. He's right, you are barely able to stand as it is."

"I-"

Naruka scooped Ibuki's bag in his arms from where it lay on the floor previously. This will make things easier for them. Not to mention, he is sure that the boy's phone is in the bag somewhere. It will take them just a few minutes to hack into his phone without any trace to find out more about the boy's background.

"There's no need to worry, Ibuki-dono. We will ensure that your guardians know about this arrangement. I'm sure they will agree."

"Like what Nakura said." Kouichi stated as he gestured for Nakura to take his leave, bringing Ibuki's bag along with him. It seems that his employer had gotten the subtle message and had played along. The boy's identity now has them curious. They need to know if the boy is a threat to Mayumi.

Nakura walked out of the room and searched the bag, finding the boy's phone in a few seconds. He walked into another room with several state-of-the-art electronic equipments installed.

Time to find out who the boy truly is.

* * *

"I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm screwed…"

"Stop whining." Mayumi said in a huff as she crossed her arms, sitting on the edge of the bed that Ibuki is lying on as he covered his face with a pillow and screamed into it. "It is only a call."

"My… guardians, if I can call them that. They are pretty much neutral to the Ten Master Clans as a whole, but there are some who dislike how much power they hold, including your family. Especially the head honcho. She had _ordered_ me to **not** get involved with anyone from the Ten Master Clans if I see them, and yet _here_ I am. **_AHHHHHH_**! I'm **_dead_** the next time I go back to Tsuchiura! **_AHHHHH_**!"

"Is it that bad?" Mayumi asked timidly. Her best friend's guardian(s) don't like the Ten Master Clans? Will they forcefully stop Ibuki from seeing her? Or even worse, transfer him out of her school and into another?

"The head honcho doesn't _hate_ the Ten Master Clans, if that is what you are worried about." Ibuki muttered as he finally raised his head from where he buried into the pillow earlier. "It's just that I had disobeyed her explicit orders behind her back and she doesn't like her authority to be undermined. I'm going to get **_hell_** from her when I go back during the summer break. Your father will definitely do something too, there's no way he's not fiddling with my phone right now to find out about my identity and I haven't had time to use my magic to prevent my phone from getting hacked. He might even send me into a slaughterhouse the moment he knows where I came from."

Mayumi's breath hitched a little.

"So you really do have some sort of background. I had my suspicions, but I was afraid of asking."

"No point keeping this a secret anymore." Ibuki mumbled. "But I am from the military. Meeting you was an accident, I swear. You Ten Master Clans people are a paranoid bunch, so I never wanted to associate myself with any of you when I came to Tokyo. Obviously, things didn't go according to plan."

"Oh." Mayumi said softly as a tinge of sadness crept into her heart and she held back the urge to cry. Is this how she will lose her first and only friend? All because she is from the Ten Master Clans?

Just because she is a Saegusa?

"Oi, don't cry. Your father will flay me alive if he thinks I'm the reason you are crying. I became your friend because I chose to, don't think otherwise. I'm just saying that the adults may make things difficult for us once my cover is blown. I can already imagine your father chaining me down onto a table and start experimenting on me."

"Then maybe you deserve it." Mayumi stuck her tongue out at Ibuki childishly. "That's what you get for worrying me."

"Hello? Illegal human experimentation happening here and no one bats an eye? What happened to human rights?"

"There must be an exception clause for you. Human rights don't apply to you. So, there."

"And pray tell me, who put the clause in there?"

"Why, **_me_** of course!"

* * *

Kouichi cannot help but smirk. It seems that his worries are uncalled for. In fact, he had hit the jackpot.

The Human CAD. The boy is a living CAD on his own.

It was hard tracking down the boy's roots with just his phone as the only new lead and the Saegusa are not as good as the Yotsubas when it comes to espionage. It was hard to even unlock the security set on the surprisingly heavily encrypted phone, but they managed it. All they needed was to check the phone's call log after that and give a call to the person that the boy called almost once every month, as though giving a monthly update.

He found himself talking to a very surprised Major General Saeki, the head of the 101. Naturally, she wasn't pleased that her youngest soldier had been effectively taken 'hostage'.

Kouichi knew that the boy must be special for the military to decide letting him continue living under the eyes of the 101. And so, like the wily fox he is, he bartered. His long talk with the Major General finally loosened her tongue enough for her to let slip about the true identity of the boy known as Chiura Ibuki. Saeki may be a hardened warrior and a skilled negotiator, but she does not play the mind games as often as he does. Her inexperience in this area showed the longer their conversation dragged on.

Legally, the Saegusa cannot do anything to undermine the authority of the military, even against the specialised unit set up to undermine the authority of the Ten Master Clans. Kouichi cannot just snatch Ibuki from the 101.

However, Kouichi is not given the name of 'sly fox' for nothing.

Upon learning the power that the boy wields, the power to manipulate virtual information, Kouichi knows that he absolutely has to get the boy into his clan. His power is too unique and powerful to let him go without trying to retain him. Mayumi and the boy seem to get along well with each other and he can sense that the boy's natural potential as a magican is nothing to scoff at either, modifications done to his body or not. Magicians are all modified humans, especially so for the Ten Master Clans who all originated from the Ten Institutes during the start of the era that birthed modern magicians. An '_unnatural magician'_? That doesn't even bother him in the slightest. All magicians are unnatural if one has to be technical.

There is still something that Kouichi wants to get to the bottom to. He needs an answer, an answer to a sinking suspicion he has ever since he first lay eyes on the boy.

Even in his sick state, the boy is shown to be able to use a wide variety of magic regardless of its system and type. The boy uses magic without a thought, almost like using them on a whim and that magic is nothing but an extension of himself. He uses magic to make his coffee, fold his clothes, dust his shelf, assemble his CAD and a whole list of other menial things that magicians usually will not use magic to help them with. It is inefficient and troublesome since so many different types of magic is involved in the process. It is usually faster to do it by hand. Only people with the born ability to use so many different branches of magic are able to use them in their everyday lives like what the boy does. Not all magicians are versatile in using magic. Such magicians are rare.

Even for magicians outside the Ten Master Clans, many of them only uses one or two different branches of magic most of the time. Many magicians tend to specialise in only a few forms of magic by the time they reach adulthood, including those of the Ten Master Clans. Each of the Ten Master Clans have their own specialisation. The only people who are able to use so many different branches of magic effortlessly without any known form of specialisations are them, the Saegusa. It is the reason why magicians give them the nickname of 'Omnipotent'.

The similarities of the boy's magical abilities to them cannot be a coincidence. There are just too many parallels and similarities to be drawn.

The Saegusa's known trait for not having any unique abilities but also not having a system that they are bad at is what makes them a Saegusa. They are the jack-of-all-trades. This is not something that can be replicated because their abilities are a result of the numerous experimentations from their ancestor's time in the Third and subsequently Seventh Institute. It is an ability carved into their genes and can only be passed down through blood. Yet, a boy who they had never seen before has the same natural ability as them. This is not something that is a result of the HCAD project, Kouichi is sure of it. This is the boy's own innate ability as a magician.

This boy _has_ to be a lost member of the Saegusa. There is **_no way_** the 101 didn't know about this. The 101 knows that they have one of his kin in their hands and they didn't see fit to inform **_him_** about it. The boy obviously doesn't know about his heritage either.

With that knowledge in mind and a newfound fury burning in his chest, Kouichi had to use both 'threatening' and 'incentive' methods to finally let Saeki Hiromi agree to his suggestion. The carrot and the stick, if one would call it. The 'stick' is obvious, since the boy is undoubtedly a Saegusa even without a blood test for confirmation. The similarities in his magic signature compared to his own clansmen is already enough proof. Kouichi has every right to demand custody of the boy and even use this incident as an excuse to find a way to shut the 101 down.

Despite his dislike for the 101, as a member of the Ten Master Clans whose duty is to ensure the safety of Japan, he can appreciate the upside of having such a unique battalion. Thus, the 'carrot' comes in the form of unwavering support of the 101 from the Saegusa. The Saegusa will support the 101's endeavour in any way they deem fit. They will also be able to call upon Ibuki's aid when they find it necessary. Kouichi had given them the right to order the boy which supersedes even his own in times of crisis. Ibuki will remain as a soldier of a 101, that is the compromise he and Saeki reached.

Major General Saeki wasn't pleased when her superiors agreed to Kouichi's offer. Having even a single family from the Ten Master Clans giving their support is a major boost for anyone. It is not an offer given lightly and is also thus not an offer that is casually rejected.

The 101 will have to take it, the offer is too tempting for them not to. Both parties benefit from this, so why not come to an agreement?

Ibuki will be raised by the Saegusa clan and Kouichi already has plans for him. With Ibuki's ability, he will be the eyes and the ears of the clan, gathering information that they need. The boy will also be Mayumi's personal bodyguard, something which will let his mind rest at ease. He can sleep better knowing that someone competent will be constantly there to watch over his eldest daughter.

And if Mayumi truly wants to claim the boy as her own, well, who is he to deny his daughter's wishes? The boy definitely has good genes just like his daughter. Any children they have between them will definitely grow into a capable magician. After much digging and tracking the Saegusa's extensive family tree, he found an offshoot that branched off not too long after the Seventh Institute shut down. The family had supposedly died out about a few generations ago. Apparently, Ibuki's existence showed him that wasn't the case.

Come to think about it, Ibuki's natural ability as a magician is probably the main reason why he was the only candidate to survive the HCAD project. The amount of magic sequences implanted into him via the inserted CADs cannot be used just by anyone. To utilise the fruits of the HCAD project to its fullest effect, one has to be naturally capable of using all the different magics perfectly without flaws. On hindsight, only a Saegusa could do it. No one else could have possibly handled the burden of numerous CADs implanted in you and process a whole lot of foreign data uploaded into your mind.

Saegusa Ibuki. Now _that_ has a nice ring to it.

The boy will help bring the Saegusa family up to greater heights, Kouichi is sure of it.


	4. Chapter 4- Change

"Explain to me again how a visit to your family's doctor suddenly make me a Saegusa?"

"_Our family's_ doctor, Ibuki. You are a Saegusa just like any of us. The only difference is that your family branched off and disappeared before our clan became a member of the Ten Master Clans and there were bigger fishes to fry at that time, so your family was left forgotten for several generations and no one looked into it until now."

Ibuki groaned and ran a hand through his face at Mayumi's reply.

"Come on, it's not that bad! At least now we can see each other every day! There are so many things we can do together!"

"I only just recovered from my flu and _suddenly_ I found out that I am a _Saegusa_ all along? _And_ that old hag Saeki actually agreed to let me go? That the only people that I view as _family_ just up and abandon me by giving me away without asking about my opinion? _And_ that we are actually distantly related cousins I-don't-know-how-many-times-removed or something? _What_ **_else_** is there?"

"You… don't seem happy to be a Saegusa." Mayumi asked cautiously as she tiptoed to Ibuki's side, peering at his face which is still covered partially by his hand.

"I'm still coming to terms with the fact that I was being given away like a present. And being an equivalent of royalty is so much trouble."

"Ibuki…"

At that moment, the door to the room was suddenly flung open.

"Nee-san! We heard that the new guy is our new nii-chan! Is that right?!"

"No, it's wrong." Ibuki replied with a barely concealed hint of denial. "I really wish it was wrong. This entire thing is just wrong. I want my original life back."

"You!" One of the twins that just barged into the room unannounced raised an offending finger at the new Saegusa. "Get away from Nee-san!"

"_Hello_? Have you **_seen_** your sister? She is a _tyrant_. She just either followed me everywhere or dragged me with her. **_HOW_** am I supposed to get away from her?"

"Don't think I accepted you as a fellow Saegusa just because otou-sama said so! I haven't accepted you and there's no way I will allow you to date nee-san!"

"I don't care about what you think, squirt. And what the hell are you learning? Who taught you about dating at your age? How old are you even?"

"Just stay away from nee-san!"

"A hyperactive little squirt, aren't you?"

"My name is Kasumi! KA-SU-MI!"

"Kasumi!" Mayumi scolded her little sister with a faint blush on her cheeks. "Don't be rude! And we are not dating!"

"You talk about him all the- _mfph_!"

"**Don't**." Mayumi said in the terrifying sweet smile of hers as she cupped a hand over Kasumi's mouth. "**Be. Rude**."

"_Mfph! MFFFPHHH_!"

"I think I like you better." Ibuki turned to the other twin that was silently watching her older twin sister yelling at the top of her lungs the moment she made her appearance. "What's your name?"

"Izumi." The youngest of the Saegusa replied politely. "It's nice to meet you, Ibuki nii-san."

"Same to you. See? Why can't you be as nice as your sister?" Ibuki said the last part to a struggling Kasumi, who is still in Mayumi's grasp.

"_MFPPH! MFFFFPHH! **MFFFFFFPPPPPPPHHHH**_!"

"Ibuki nii-san, were you from the military?" Izumi asked curiously as she looked up to the person her father said will be their new older brother figure. According to her father, Ibuki is someone who has the potential to be a very capable magician, one who might rise to be one of the strongest in their family's history. And if he is from the _military_, he must be very strong, right?

"Yeah. There's nothing nice or fun to do there other than to learn how to fight and to tinker with CADs though. It's boring as hell. I don't recommend going there for a vacation. How old are the two of you, by the way?"

"We are ten this year!"

"So three years younger than me and Mayumi, huh?" Ibuki murmured to himself before looking down again when he felt Izumi tugging on the sleeves of his shirt.

"Ibuki nii-san, do you know how to fight? As in hand-to-hand?"

"Yeah, sure."

"You know how to use guns?"

"Not that hard. Just aim and pull the trigger and the thing goes pew pew all over the place."

"And do you know how to-"

"Izumi." Mayumi cut Izumi off with a reproachful stare. "Don't bombard Ibuki with questions like that."

"But, but!"

"No buts."

"Nee-san!"

"Eh, it's fine, Mayumi." Ibuki waved off Mayumi's concern. "Well, how about I show you guys a magic trick?"

"In case you had forgotten, we _are_ magicians."

"Kasumi. What did I just say about not being rude?" Mayumi said in a stern voice as she bent down and shot a disapproving glare in Kasumi's way, but Kasumi simply avoided her older sister's gaze as she turned her head to a side while having her arms crossed.

"Well, watch."

Ignoring Kasumi's jab, a cube of dry ice as big as Ibuki's palm manifested in less than a second.

"Wait! This is-!"

"Mayumi's favourite spell."

"But **_how_**?! You did it without a CAD! And the speed of the invocation! I didn't even see any Activation Sequences! This spell alone uses three different system types of magic!" Izumi exclaimed with a mixture of shock and awe before turning back to Ibuki. **_"How?!"_**

Ibuki only gave them a wry grin.

"Magic."

"Not very nice of you, Ibuki." Mayumi chided half-heartedly but couldn't help as she moved to take a closer look at the dry ice formed. It _is_ her favourite spell. The concept behind it is simple in theory, although not everyone can use it as precise as she is able to. Not only does it involve magic from three different system types, you need to be able to hit targets with absolute accuracy. Not everyone is able to handle the two processes at the same time.

But still….

"How did you manage to do it without a CAD? And with the speed of one no less?"

"I told you, it is-"

"Say magic one more time, I dare you."

"Er, I mean, I am a CAD?" Ibuki smoothly changed his answer upon the threat to his well-being. "I mean, your father definitely knows about this by now and there is no point keeping it a secret from the three of you. Just don't blab about it to anyone else, alright?"

Mayumi's eyes narrowed once more.

"What do you mean _you_ are a CAD?"

"By what I said." Ibuki shrugged as three pair of eyes stared at him. "I'm sure this is why your father was so adamant on getting me into the Saegusa and why the 101 was unwilling to let me go until your father offered something juicier. I _am_ a very valuable tool. Can you imagine going into a fight between magicians without a need for a CAD? Why would you need one when you are a CAD yourself?"

"Wait! But that means… that means you underwent some sort of experiment?!"

"Why, thank you for pointing out the obvious, Kasumi." Ibuki applauded using a tone dryer than the Sahara Desert. "It was an illegal experiment that succeeded and the 101 found me during a raid, taking me in like some spoils of war. The rest is history."

"So your story about having doctorphobia…" Mayumi trailed off with her eyes wide. If Ibuki was indeed a subject for an illegal experimentation of all things, then-

"Oh, that was part bullshit. Sure, I never liked seeing a doctor, but I don't have a phobia of them. Merely a strong dislike."

"Then don't worry me like that!" Mayumi voiced her reply by clocking her annoying friend on the head. "I almost thought that I had subjected you to some sort of mental torture!"

"That is actually not too far off the mark if you think about it."

"Then the CAD you have with you is for…?" Izumi pointed to a Generalised CAD placed on the nearby table. It is Ibuki's CAD.

"Just for show. Can't have the public figuring out my secrets, can I? I use these CADs from time to time, but I don't really need them at all if it comes down to a fight." Ibuki replied as he stood up and gave a yawn.

"Where are you going?"

"Go back to my room to nap, Mayumi, or lie in bed and think about how awkward it will be when I see the people from the 101 again. One moment I am a soldier, and the next I am a Saegusa because I was given like some kind of present in exchange for political and material support from the clan. I had treated them as my _family_, Mayumi. As far as I know, family don't do this to each other. I need some time alone to think."

Mayumi wasn't able to say anything to prevent Ibuki from making his leave after that. Her hand was still partially stretched out and her mouth half-opened to say something when he walked through the door.

He didn't say it, but she knew he was hurt that he was given away by the 101 just like that. The 101 was his home and the only thing that he knew of besides going to school. They are the closest people that he had that he can call his family.

And he was given away like a present, because something of equal worth was given by the Saegusa to acquire the lost member of their clan back. A clan that Ibuki didn't know he had and have no feelings or attachment to. He lost the only family that he knew only to gain a foreign one that he has no idea about, blood relations or not. Mayumi is no fool, she knows that her father may treat Ibuki as a valued member of their family, but he views him as just a prized tool to have.

To her father, Ibuki is important, but only as far as what his abilities can provide. He is only a tool to the Saegusa clan. And who placed him in such a situation?

_Her_.

Unknowingly, she had just robbed everything that Ibuki knew and thrusted him into something he never asked for. She knows enough to tell that Ibuki was content in remaining as a soldier for the 101 before this turn of events. She knows he never likes having the spotlight on him or be a part of politics that comes with being a member of the Ten Master Clans. She knows he hates being seen as a tool, something that both the 101 and her family sees him as. They are both the same in their treatment towards Ibuki. It is just a matter of how well they try to hide it, showering him in pretences of care and concern until his usefulness to them is over.

She knows that this outcome is not totally her fault, but she can't help but feel guilty for causing this to happen to her best friend.

She is the worst friend.

It can be observed from the subtle differences he carried himself. How he tried to make his voice sound in the same laidback tone, how he tried to act indifferent and relaxed in her family's manor, how he pretended to not hear her fellow Saegusas gossiping about how he was _acquired_. She can see how he acts like he ignored the rumours flying about within the clan that he is the most valuable asset their clan head had gotten to increase their family's influence and firepower.

Ibuki may be a Saegusa in blood, but he is treated like an outsider in his own home. It is all her fault.

Their interactions between each other are not in the least affected, and Mayumi tried to act like nothing had happened to bring some sense of normalcy into his new life. Still, she knows that deep down Ibuki wishes that this had never happened. Does he blame her? She really wants to just go up to him and ask, but she is afraid. What if he snaps and loses it? What if he really shouted at her and told her that he really hates her for getting him evicted from the only family that he knew?

"Nee-san?"

"I'm fine, Izumi." Mayumi put her mask back on with practised ease as she patted her youngest sister on her head.

No, not everything is fine, but she can at least pretend that it is. Ibuki is pretending that everything is fine and the only thing she can do right now is to play along and provide him with whatever support she can. She knows everyone has their limit, but she doesn't know what Ibuki's limit is. She doesn't know when he will break and lash out, or if that will ever happen, but she will prepare for it. If the day comes where Ibuki tells her how much he hates her for making him a Saegusa and ripping him away from everything that made him into who he was, she will take it. She will take his rage and sorrow without complaints.

It is her fault, and it is on her to deal with the consequences.

* * *

"-so that's-"

"Yeah, Kouichi-sama-"

"Mayumi ojou-sama's bodyguard? Isn't that-"

"-how much did Kouichi-sama-"

"Heard it was a lot."

Mayumi stopped short before she turned around the corner when she heard the gossips before she even saw the gossipers. These idiots didn't even have the common sense to be discreet or silent about it.

Or maybe they just didn't care about his feelings.

Ibuki is human, a magician just like them.

He is _not_ a **_thing_**.

He is not a commodity up for sale that can be easily tagged with a price. He is human just like everyone else.

He is her friend.

She took a deep breath and put on a figurative mask before turning around the corner, purposely making her footsteps louder than usual. She took satisfaction when the few clansmen who had been openly gossiping about Ibuki earlier turned around faster than one could say 'magic'. She relished in the fact that their face paled the moment they realised that their words might have been overheard by her.

"G-Good afternoon, ojou-sama."

"Afternoon to you too, Ikei-san." She said smoothly. "Isn't today's weather nice? Perfect for a gossip session?"

"P-Please forgive us, ojou-sama!" The three clansmen who were in her family's manor for reasons unknown to her quickly bowed down at a ninety degree angle in apology. Her father had probably called them here for whatever reasons relating to clan matters. That didn't matter to her. What made her so furious was how they treated Ibuki.

Ibuki is a Saegusa like any of them. The same blood that runs in their veins runs in his. He doesn't deserve such ostracization from his own family simply because of him being labelled as a human CAD.

"I will let you off the hook this time. The next time, I won't be as kind." She said in an emotionless voice, making sure her current mask is one that radiates merciless coldness. She may be young, but she is an ojou-sama. She is the eldest daughter to her father.

In her clan, her power is only second to her father and brothers. Her mother hardly stays in the manor, choosing to stay at one of the numerous villas owned by her family so she didn't have much power. Mayumi didn't blame her mother for not being a mother that she had hoped for, for the marriage between her and father is a loveless one. It is a marriage born out of a mixture of necessity, politics, and pragmatism. Her mother's only obligation is to bear her father's children.

Namely her and her twin sisters.

The three clansmen stuttered out a reply before excusing themselves. She dropped her mask the moment they left, putting up a bright smile as she skipped over to where Ibuki is.

"Ibuki!"

Said person glanced at her from where he is. Mayumi is sure that he had heard the rude remarks before she appeared, but he gave no indications about it.

"Are you here to terrorise me again, ojou-sama?"

"Mou~ Stop calling me ojou-sama already!"

"How about tyrant?"

"Will it kill you to address me by my name, Ibuki?" Mayumi said in mock anger as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Definitely a tyrant." Ibuki shook his head as he walked off to wherever he's supposed to be, but Mayumi can spot the very faint smile on his face.

And so, she smiled too, because that was all she needed to know that they are still friends.


End file.
